Split week came to an end on the Oct. 25 episode of Bachelor in Paradise, which meant that Victoria Fuller had to confront Johnny DePhillipo after going on a date with Alex Bordyukov. “I’m going back to the beach hoping that Johnny is still being Johnny and still liking me and wanting to pursue things, but I’m bringing back this whole other element of, well, I kind of want to explore things right in front of your face,” Victoria admitted. “That’s f***ed up. I just don’t know what I want. I feel like I’m going to have more to explain to Johnny than he is going to explain to me.”
While Victoria was more confused than ever upon her return to the beach, Johnny was completely certain that he wanted to be with her. He had not pursued any other women during his time apart from Victoria. When she first told him about her date with Alex, he was calm, but the conversation eventually took a turn. “He kind of checked a lot of boxes for me, I guess on the outside,” Victoria told Johnny. “So I was like, okay, I need to be open to this and give somebody a shot because I was not talking to anybody. He met a lot of requirements.”
Johnny was upset to hear that Victoria seemed to have a “checklist” of requirements that she wanted the men to meet. She finally told Johnny her concerns about him — he’s a few years younger than her and she wasn’t sure if he was ready to start a family soon like she is. Victoria had trouble articulating what it was that made her want to explore something with Alex, which frustrated Johnny. “When you left, you [told me], ‘Don’t go talking to anyone,'” he pointed out. “So do your thing because you obviously want to explore.”
He ran off from the conversation and vented about what was going on. “I told her, if you want to be happy, just go,” he revealed. “I’m not sticking around. I’m not competing. I didn’t even feel the need to pull my [checklist] out when these [new] girls came. Why did [she] have [her] list out? Why wasn’t it just like…Johnny’s my guy. That’s the only thing that really bums me out.” Johnny wanted Victoria to make a decision between him and Alex before things moved forward.
Victoria pulled Johnny aside for another conversation so they could discuss things step by step. Johnny insisted that he wasn’t upset that Victoria went on a date, but he was frustrated that she was making her decisions based on a checklist. “There was no temptation to see if another girl ‘checked my list,'” Johnny explained. “So what didn’t I do to fulfill you that you had to go out there and see if Alex did?”
Finally, Victoria gathered her thoughts. “I did not mean to make you feel like you weren’t living up to a checklist because you’re so much more than just a checklist,” she explained. “I’m just saying that I want to have kids very soon. I want a family. I want a husband. I want to be engaged. I want to start a life with somebody. So are we at the same place in life? Because I know coming into this you were not very open to wanting to be engaged and that’s okay. You said that right off the bat and I understand. But when I took a step back and started to think about it, somebody was there, Alex, and is saying all these things that he IS ready.”
This prompted Victoria and Johnny to talk about what they wanted after Paradise and out of the future. Johnny admitted that he was ready to fall in love, but also confessed that he wasn’t sure he was at the point where he was ready for kids. When Victoria questioned Johnny’s career goals, he got a bit defensive, and told her to be with Alex if she didn’t think he was driven enough for her. Victoria made it clear that she wasn’t ready to end things with Johnny, but said that she still had to have a conversation with Alex when he got to the beach. Johnny told Victoria that the ball was in her court, but told her she had to make a decision because he was going to leave if she chose Alex over him.
When Alex arrived, he pulled Victoria aside for a chat. “It’s a hard thing to see,” Johnny admitted. “I turn around and he’s got his arm around her and is walking away with her. He’s telling her everything she wants to hear. That’s his game. It’s very tough to see. I’m willing to fight for her but I want her to overall make the decision.” By the end of the night, Victoria still felt like Alex was someone who looked good “on paper,” which left her just as confused as ever.
“I don’t want to hurt Johnny,” she said. “I don’t want to explore another option in front of his face. I can’t even imagine someone doing that to me. But I’m happy I met Alex, obviously. He’s an amazing man. This guy checks every single box I’ve ever wanted on my list of guys ever. It’s really sad because I’m actually going to hurt somebody and it’s not fair to either one of them.” Meanwhile, the whole situation made Johnny realize just how strongly he was feeling for Victoria. “I told her, ‘I’m not scared to marry you. You’re the perfect person I wanna marry,'” he revealed. “But I don’t know where her head’s at.”
The drama will pick up during the next episode on Oct. 31.